by Ember Rain
© 2018 Ember Rain/ Sanchi Hancock
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address the Author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Edited By: Proofreader/beta editor Alexandra Ene
Formatted by: Ember Rain/ Sanchi Hancock
Cover Design Done by Veronique Poirier of V. Designs
Cover photo licensed with Canva with extended license by photographer: grape_vein. Thank you for posting your incredible photos!
Contents
Prologue
The Beginning
Chapter One
Amariana
Seventeen years later
Chapter Two
Storm
Chapter Three
Amariana
Chapter Four
Storm
Chapter Five
Amariana
Chapter Six:
Storm
Chapter Seven
Amariana
Chapter Eight
Storm
The Royally Divine
Ember Rain
Prologue
The Beginning
“Healers rushed all around Lilith dodging her powers striking them as she flung one after another against the walls around us. Despite the loss of two of the healers in the first few moments of her labor, more were sent to aid her in the birth of the baby she and the King had waited so long to bring into the world as the heir to the underworld. To the shock of both parents as well as the remaining healers left at her bedside, the heir they hoped to be a boy is born at just after twelve a.m. and is a beautiful little girl.” Says one witness from the Queen’s birthing room. What will this new revelation mean for the underworld? We will continue to keep the angel realm informed as more updates come in.
A.J. Steele of The Angel Reporter.
Michael picks up the remote and flips the virtual screen off. His thoughts race over the breaking news. He and the other members of the council of original angels and royal family had been aware of Diablo bringing Lilith into his life for creating an heir to rule the underworld someday.
The time is coming where he will face his permanent banning to hell. Seers have warned of a day he will be put away in hell where he won't be able to physically affect those around him any longer, but for the moment he and his wife are running the underworld, which is a realm in between hell and the human realm. Many demons go to and from the underworld often, and some are not able to leave the confines of the realm due to banishment for crimes committed in the human realm and their sentences imposed by the Earth angel teams over many centuries.
Since Lilith and Diablo’s alliance they've sent out countless demons to wreak havoc in the human world, targeting the weak and taking their souls. At the time of the King and Queens conception of their expected child the demon activity had slowed significantly, most being assigned to protect the Queen and her unborn child. It didn’t take long before the angel’s had uncovered why the significant change had happened and learned what they were hiding; A child Lilith will bring into the world that is expected to become more powerful than both Lilith and Diablo at the time of its ascension. The demon child will then be gifted with power so great; no demon would dare challenge him or her for the throne and the heir would then take over as ruler of the underworld as soon as both Lilith and Diablo are banned to hell for eternity.
The child will be born with the blood of Lilith, a greater demon of the underworld and mixed with the blood of Diablo who was once an angel who was tossed from heaven because of his greed and hunger for increased power. He was the first to be tossed from heaven centuries after Deus had banished Lucifer himself. With Lucifer bound to Hell for all eternity made way for Diablo to gain even more power when he became the new King of the underworld as did Lilith when he took her as his mate. Due to these reasons, the pair bringing a demon child into the world could be detrimental to both the angel, human, and fae realms.
****
An hour later, Michael finishes re-playing the news report in front of the entire angel council along with the King and Queen of the angel realm. The newscast ends for the second time on his screen this morning and he again clicks the off button and turns to face his fellow council members. He studies the reactions of each angel at the table, already aware of the King and Queens feelings on the matter.
“Now, do you all understand why I have called you here?” Michael asks looking around at each angel in turn.
“What does this mean for us?” Piper, Michael's younger brother asks while looking over at him calmly. Ever since Michael could remember his youngest brother has been able to stay eerily calm in the direst of situations; It’s a talent to be envied by many.
Michael looks up, meeting Pipers gaze breaking the ongoing silence in the room.
“For the moment, we will do nothing.” Michael announces resolved to the decision the Queen and King had made just before the meeting began.
The Queen, Analee had insisted that there was no just cause to do anything to prevent the child from existing no matter what the cost could end up being if the girl becomes more powerful and evil than her parents. With her own twins having an equal amount of power together the royal couple felt confident everyone would be on an even playing field if any war was waged in the future.
Michael has thought long and hard about the situation since he first watched the report earlier and agrees with the Queen on the matter, as does the King. Although the council by angel law must be informed of the current situation, the King and Queen make the final decision on how they are to continue moving forward.
“We will spend time preparing for the child to become what others predict she’ll be when she comes of age. As of now, there is no proof the child will be any threat for certain, or at all aside from the speculation of the angel community.” He finishes answering Piper thoroughly.
Now that we are aware of what is coming, we will double down on the training of our angels both in the field and here in the angel realm. If the child should become a threat, then we will be ready to handle it at that time.” He adds with finality locking eyes with each member of the Council to emphasize the seriousness of the decision that has been made. All the other angels at the table appear unsettled about the news but seem to be waiting for Michael to finish speaking before voicing their concerns.
Analee and Jeremiah might be the King and Queen of the angel world, but Michael is the oldest of them all and his opinions are typically well-respected among the council. However, judging by the looks on their faces at the present not all of them are in full agreement with him or the King and Queen.
“If you have objections, please voice them here and now because when we leave this room, we will all be in a unanimous agreement on the matter.” Analee says looking around the table with her hands clasped in front of her calmly.
The room breaks out into an uproar of worries about the threat the girl would be to the humans.
“She could possibly end us all.” One angel calls out.
“You do not know that.” Another counters.
The Council members continue to argue heavily amongst one another. After only minutes of the deafening disagreements going on, Analee climbs to her feet at the head of the table. Raising her hands towards the ceiling she releases a ball of light that slams into the ceiling cracking it from one end of the room to the other.
“Enough!” She yells with fury. Her serious tone silencing the room. “We have no proof
that the child will even be a threat to anyone. Angels do not hunt down demon babies that are defenseless. This is not our ways or lawful. I don’t feel that just because the child is born to the King and Queen of the underworld necessarily means that she will be anything like them. Let’s all remember that Diablo was born an angel and even if Lilith’s blood is purely demon, his isn’t. There may be a hope the child will not be as evil as everyone is assuming, she will be. The only way we will know for sure if she poses a threat is who she chooses to be as she ages and goes through her ascension.” Her gaze shifting from Piper, to Michael and then back to Jeremiah looking for support.
“I agree with my wife.” Jeremiah speaks up.
Michael raises his right hand, “as do I.” He joins in.
One by one each of the original angels agree to not intervene in the demon child’s life unless it were to ever pose a threat to the angel or any of the other realms.
Although having not called the meeting, Analee is still the Queen of the angel realm and has a way of settling an argument, or in this case an entire room of them. Michael sighs with relief as the room slowly settles.
The council sits quietly as the final decision was passed down from the Queen, backed by the King and Michael, the eldest member of the original angel council. The process is made official by the signing of the document of agreement they pass around until everyone has read and signed it. Analee hands the paper to Michael to bind them all to the agreement. The angel world takes a promise seriously and punishment for breaking one can result in having your wings taken and tossed down to the human realm. These angels are known as the fallen angels.
“We will not let this effect our day to day orders and continue on with business as usual, is this understood?” Jeremiah asks sternly while joining Michael and standing on Analee’s other side.
“This meeting is now adjourned.” Michael calls to end the gathering with a wave of his hand. The council disperses in different directions leaving the King, Queen, and Michael alone in the quiet of the room.
“I am relieved that is over with.” Analee says sighing as she turns to face Michael and her husband.
“Listen, the demons left the angel world alone when the twins were born, even knowing their power combined tips the balance significantly in our favor. I theorize that is why Lilith was able to conceive after the length of time she was trying to birth an heir. It’s too convenient she became pregnant only months after Logan and Storm were born. Don’t you both agree?” Michael suggests shifting his gaze between Analee and Jeremiah.
“We do, we also understand that even if we were to intervene with the life of the demon girl, Lilith would just continue to get pregnant until she successfully births an heir for the underworld.” Analee replies.
“Speaking of babies, would you mind calling Malina to meet us in the throne room with the twins?” she asks Jeremiah while reaching up and running her hand along the side of his face lovingly.
He nods and sends a mental message to the nanny asking her to meet them in the throne room with the twins.
Michael excuses himself and heads out to complete his daily duties while Analee and Jeremiah make their way out of the meeting room and towards their throne room. The couple veers left down the main hall nodding at passing guards and other angels as they stroll towards the double doors ahead.
The throne room is the size of a large ballroom with the typical over-sized royal chairs at the far end of the room for the King and Queen. Beside the two chairs are two much smaller specially sized chairs for the twin princes of the realm. The couple make their way across the room and seat themselves in their chairs.
Moments later the doors open and Malina breezes through the entrance smiling brightly with a baby in each arm.
“Here they are,” Malina says handing baby Logan to Analee, who cradles him close to her chest. Malina then turns and hands baby Storm to his father before bowing gracefully to show her respect for the King and Queen.
“I will be awaiting your request for me to come back for them.” She bows once more excusing herself from the room.
“Thank you,” Analee says absently staring down at baby Logan as Malina made her way back to the doors.
“No thanks needed; I am honored to care for them.” Malina responds sweetly before the doors are closed behind her by the guards.
“They are so perfect,” Analee coos holding Logan's tiny foot in her hand, admiring his stunning blue eyes that hold an unnatural sparkle identical to his twin brother Storm’s.
Jeremiah looks down sticking his tongue out at Storm causing the chubby baby to smile and coo back at his father.
The King and Queen hope that the decision they made this day will not affect their boys negatively in the future, but knew it was the only choice that could be made about an innocent baby.
****
And so, it was decided the Angels will not be addressing the birth of the newest addition to the royal underworld’s family.
Chapter One
Amariana
Seventeen years later
“I don't know what else to do with her,” Lilith argued shooting daggers at her husband as her black eyes flash red filling with fury.
“We have to do this, that is the only thing we can do with her at this point!” my father seethes in anger as he stares at me from across the room. His eyes are black pools and his face as red as a cherry tomato.
Anger drives into me as I grow increasingly sick of hearing the same arguments repeatedly over and over, day after day. I march over to my parents and their words fall short of coming out. I pin my father with my eyes, forcing him in place with my mind control. I’m sure he’ll punish me for it later but for now I don’t really care.
“Father, need I remind you I am not a child anymore and, in a few days, I will decide everything for myself, just so we are clear.” I stand my ground folding my arms across my chest, defiance clouding my face. I blow back a strand of my dark hair that had fallen across my eye. Heat covers my cheeks while my body burns with rage. I will not allow my parents to dictate who I will be, and I mean it.
Don't they think they have done enough to me already? I wonder angrily.
I will never forget the first time my father had me brought to the infirmary for ‘testing’ all because I was kind to a guard. The ruthless demon took the first chance he had to run to my parents and snitch on me for simply being nice. Who would think that such a thing would be wrong?
I have taken many trips to the human realm with trainer after trainer trying to teach me how to kill Angels and hurt innocent humans by taking over their minds and forcing them to do bad things, but the last time they wanted me to force a human man to kill his wife with my power and I couldn’t do it, leaving me here stuck in yet another argument with my parents again. The closer my birthday, also known as my ascension date, gets the more tension, I can feel building between myself and my parents.
When I had refused to do harm on my last trip to the human world the trainer had begged me to just follow his directions because if I didn’t, he was sure my parents would punish him as they had the others and send him to the torture chambers in the dungeons. Sadly, that’s exactly what they had done when we returned having failed the appointed task.
The underworld is not a fun place to grow up in but the palace I live in isn't all that horrible if you can handle the smell of sulfur and death, that is, I think squaring off in front of my father again.
“Amariana, you need to embrace who you are now. Before your birthday arrives or...” His words fall off.
“Or what father?” I jump in before he can finish what he was going to say. “You'll kill me? Torture me some more, run more tests on me that has, if I recall correctly only caused me to have more power than before the testing and experimental mixtures. What will you do when I make the choice to be myself and not the great evil heir of your kingdom? Tell me, say it aloud; I want to hear it from you, say it aloud!” I scream with deadly seriousness.
<
br /> My mother steps in between my father and me and I see the look in his black eyes soften ever so slightly before he cringes and whirls around to turn his back on me.
“That's what I thought,” I bite smugly. A sting on my cheek catches me off guard when my mother slaps me across the face causing my head to jerk to the side. I cup my cheek not expecting the blow.
“You do not speak to your father, your King like that young lady!” She said raising her voice an octave. The angry look on her otherwise perfect face causes me to recoil in fear.
My mother is usually the calm in the room when these arguments occur which seems to have become a daily occurrence as of late. Both are desperate for me to change my ways, so much so they have put me through the worst of the worst with the demon doctor who gets giddy each time I would be escorted into his lab in the palace.
It hurt, all the needles shoved harshly into my arms and I can't tell you how many awful liquids that he shoved down my throat, foul tastes over and over. Like, seriously they couldn't at least make one taste half-way decent.
Regardless, I have taken their attempts with strength and passion to continue to be myself. Not one of the evil doctor’s potions and offensive torturous shock treatments have changed a single thing about me except after the third potion I was then able to use mind control on the doctor and ordered him to stop and sit in his lab chair and stay there for the entire week. The memory brings a grin to my face, still in awe of myself and how I had gotten away with it until another demon had been injured and needed healing. I was in trouble the minute he broke the trance on the doctor.
Of course, after caring for my father's wounded warrior the doc was quick to report my new power to my parents and I was locked in the dungeons for three full weeks before finally being released.
Yep, still worth it. I think with a smile at the memory.